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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605861">Bruised, but Not Broken</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woongie/pseuds/Woongie'>Woongie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>ONEUS (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Bullying, Distrust, Dongju is a College Student, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Making Up, Son Dongju | Xion is a Sweetheart, Violence, Yeo Hwanwoong is a Good Boyfriend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:22:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26605861</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woongie/pseuds/Woongie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dongju is your standard student, yet he gets picked on by his classmates. One day, he comes home covered with cuts and bruises, and Hwanwoong has a bone to pick with those who've hurt his precious Doong Doongie.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Son Dongju | Xion/Yeo Hwanwoong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Enjoy ♪(´▽｀)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dongju wasn’t a delinquent, nor was he the best student. Despite being neither of those, his classmates always found a reason to pick a fight with him. Sure, he learned defensive techniques and mastered the art of running away, but they were useless when fighting against a mob.</p><p>	That’s how Dongju found himself pinned on the floor as he was beaten. He tried to buck off the person sitting on him, but the man wouldn’t budge. Fists, bats, and lead pipes battered his body, producing an innumerable amount of cuts and bruises over his body. All he could do was ignore what was happening to him and imagine his boyfriend’s beautiful smile. Hwanwoong was the only good thing in Dongju’s shattered world.</p><p>	Hwanwoong had taken him in when Dongju was at his weakest and gave him a place to gather his bearings. But along the way, feelings began to develop, and Dongju happily accepted Hwanwoong’s confession. In short, Hwanwoong was Dongju’s everything.</p><p>	The beating finally stopped after what felt like an eternity.</p><p>	“If you know what’s good for you, then break up with your little boyfriend. Tomorrow will be a lot worse if you don’t.” The group left after that, laughing like hyenas as the tallest guy sent one last kick at Dongju’s stomach. </p><p>	It was already evening by the time Dongju finally managed to make his way to his boyfriend’s apartment. His body was in pain and Dongju could barely see straight. Somehow, he managed to get the door open and stumble inside. The sound of Hwanwoong’s excited footsteps could be heard as Dongju slumped against the door. He didn’t want Hwanwoong to see him while he was vulnerable, but he couldn’t avoid him either.</p><p>	“Dongju! What happened to you?” Hwanwoong frantically shouted, rushing over to his side. Dongju flinched when Hwanwoong accidentally pushed too hard on his bruises.</p><p>	“Stay here. I’ll go get some bandages and ice packs.” Before Hwanwoong could leave, Dongju grasped onto his arm.</p><p>	“It’s okay, Hyung. I just slipped,” Dongju replied. He felt bad for making Hwanwoong worry. He was too kind and innocent. Dongju wanted to protect him from all the bad in the world.</p><p>	“Don’t lie to me, Son Dongju. Please tell me who did this to you,” Hwanwoong begged, warm hands cradling Dongju’s face. “Please, baby?”</p><p>	Dongju let out a weary sigh. He couldn’t lie to Hwanwoong.</p><p>	“It was a couple of my classmates. They did this to me,” Dongju mumbled, hiding his face in Hwanwoong’s neck. God, everything ached. </p><p>	After prying their names from Dongju, Hwanwoong said, “Let’s go to sleep, yeah? I’ll call in for you so you can sleep.” Dongju nodded his thanks as he was practically dragged to their shared bedroom. Hwanwoong carefully laid Dongju down and kissed him on his forehead. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p>	“You’re not sleeping?” Dongju asked, pouting. It was already late, and he wanted to fall asleep in Hwanwoong’s arms. They were the only place Dongju felt completely safe in.</p><p>	“I have a bit of work left, but I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?” Hwanwoong responded, slipping beneath the covers so he could lay beside the younger man. Dongju immediately cuddled up to Hwanwoong, burying his face in the latter's chest and listening to Hwanwoong’s calming heartbeat. Finally, at peace, Dongju let his fatigue claim his consciousness.</p><p>	After a while of combing his fingers through Dongju’s hair, Hwanwoong glanced down at his boyfriend. The younger man was deep asleep. Good. Hwanwoong quietly slipped out of bed and grabbed his phone. He made his way to the foyer before making a call. While he waited for Youngjo to pick up, Hwanwoong slipped on his shoes and grabbed his keys. When the call connected, Hwanwoong asked:</p><p>	“Are you and the others free tonight, Hyung? I need help with a couple of punks.”</p><p>	“Of course, Woongie. Keonhee’s already found out where they are.”</p><p>	“Thanks. See you soon.” With that, Hwanwoong hung up. A ping sounded from his phone. Those brats were dead meat.</p><p>	“I’ll be back, Dongju-ya,” Hwanwoong whispered into the silent apartment before walking out. “They’ll never be able to touch you again.”</p><p> </p><p>	-</p><p> </p><p>Dongju awoke the next morning with his arms wrapped around Hwanwoong. The older male was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Dongju would rather stay by Hwanwoong’s side than go to school, but he knew Hwanwoong would scold him for skipping. Besides, Dongju was close to graduating. He couldn’t afford to skip now. Groaning, Dongju disentangled himself from Hwanwoong and made his way to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, Dongju discovered a couple of bandages covering the worst of his injuries. Even his body was neatly wrapped in gauze. The pain was still there, but it had numbed considerably.</p><p>A smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he looked at himself. He looked like a mummy.</p><p>“What’re you smilin’ at?” a voice slurred from behind. Dongju looked over his shoulder to see Hwanwoong leaning against the doorframe. His bed hair stuck up in all directions and his eyes were half-lidded. Even though Hwanwoong looked like a zombie, Dongju still found him adorable.</p><p>“Nothing,” Dongju replied, slipping his shirt back on. “Thanks, though. For transforming me into a mummy, Mr. Zombie.”</p><p>Hwanwoong snorted. “I didn’t know you were into the undead.”</p><p>“Because I’m not,” Dongju retorted, letting Hwanwoong step into his embrace. He felt Hwanwoong laugh against his chest, and he couldn’t help but join in. It wasn’t until their laughter died down to soft giggles did Dongju speak.</p><p>“I’m going to be late,” Dongju whispered against the crown of Hwanwoong’s head. </p><p>“Probably,” Hwanwoong agreed. Even so, neither wanted to let go of the other. </p><p>“I’m scared,” Dongju admitted. “I don’t want to face those people again.”</p><p>“You don’t have to be scared anymore because they’ll never bother you again. I can promise you that.” Dongju was hesitant in believing Hwanwoong because bullies don’t just disappear into thin air during the night. With a heavy heart, Dongju reluctantly finished getting ready for school. </p><p>Before Dongju could leave, Hwanwoong pulled him into a kiss. “Have a good day, baby.”</p><p>“I’ll see you later,” Dongju promised. Even though Hwanwoong assured him that he would be fine, Dongju could feel the dread creeping up his spine as he approached his school. The building loomed over him, and Dongju had never felt so small. He could feel the stares of his fellow students as they took in the bruises and bandages littering his face.</p><p>As Dongju neared his class, he could hear his classmates talking about something.</p><p>“Did you hear about what happened last night?”</p><p>“No, what happened?”</p><p>“Those boys got sent to the hospital, and all of them were on the brink of death.”</p><p>“What? Seriously?”</p><p>Dongju paused near the entryway. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he wanted to hear more of their conversation. </p><p>“I heard they messed with some gangsters. And not only that, but you know Son Dongju? It seems like he’s affiliated with those gangsters.”</p><p>“That’s scary! Dongju always looked like an honest boy.”</p><p>“Well, you know what they say. Don’t judge a book by its cover.”</p><p>The gossip fell silent as Dongju entered the classroom. </p><p>Dongju ignored them as he took his seat. He was thankful to the people who took care of his bullies, but what was their motive? And how did he get dragged into their mess? Countless questions bugged him throughout the entire class, making him unable to focus on the lecture.</p><p>The second the bell rang, Dongju was out of his seat and bolting out the door. He had to tell Hwanwoong what happened. He had to ask if he had something to do with the disappearance of the boys who’d tormented him. Hwanwoong was the only one who knew about the incident. Dongju didn’t want to suspect his boyfriend, but he needed to find out the truth.</p><p>Upon reaching Hwanwoong’s apartment, Dongju burst through the door. Hwanwoong was sitting at the kitchen table, typing away on his laptop. At the sound of Dongju’s loud entrance, Hwanwoong snapped his head up, worry evident on his features.</p><p>“Dongju? What’s-”</p><p>“Did you do something to those boys?” Dongju felt guilty for speaking over Hwanwoong, but this was urgent.</p><p>“No. Why would you think that?”</p><p>“Please answer me truthfully, Hyung. You’re the only one who knows about what they did!”</p><p>A tight frown settled over Hwanwoong’s lips. Then: </p><p>“So? What if I did?”</p><p>Dongju had never known Hwanwoong could look so terrifying like he did right then.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dongju and Hwanwoong mend their relationship.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Uh, so this chapter is poorly written. I had no idea how I wanted the story to go, so don't expect much (〒▽〒)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Dongju first met Hwanwoong, he thought the older man was an angel sent from Heaven. He was kind, helpful, and the best thing to ever happen to Dongju. But here he was, with the aura of a criminal and blood on his hands.</p>
<p>	“Why would you do such a thing?” Dongju asked. Thinking back, he didn’t know much of Hwanwoong’s past. Whenever he brought it up, Hwanwoong would always change the topic into something else, and Dongju was a fool for falling for it.</p>
<p>	“Did you expect me to sit back and do nothing to the people who almost killed you?” Hwanwoong responded, his tone unsympathetic. “They hurt you, Dongju, or did you forget?” His face was impassive. Dongju felt like he was talking to a cold-hearted murderer, which Hwawnoong probably was since the truth had come to light.</p>
<p>	“Of course, I didn’t!” Dongju replied, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes. He didn’t know how to deal with this new Hwanwoong. He was completely different from before, and Dongju just wanted his sweet and innocent Hwanwoong back. “Just who are you?”</p>
<p>	A dry laugh.</p>
<p>	“Well, the cat’s out of the bag, huh.” Dongju nearly jumped out of his skin as four men walked through the front door that Dongju never closed. They were all dressed in expensive suits and polished shoes. To the naked eye, they looked like businessmen; but to Dongju, he knew they were gangsters. They were probably the ones who helped send those kids to the hospital. </p>
<p>	“What are you guys doing here? We were supposed to meet up later,” Hwanwoong muttered, scowling at the new arrivals. The men settled on the couches, making themselves at home before answering: “Yeah, were. We were walking by when we saw your door open, and we thought something bad happened. And being the nice people we are, we decided to see if you were still alive or not; but instead of a dead body, we walk into you quarreling with your boyfriend. What a surprise!”</p>
<p>	“Whatever. Come on, Dongju. Let’s finish our conversation in private where there aren’t prying ears,” Hwanwoong hissed, emphasizing the last part before grabbing Dongju’s wrist and dragging him towards the bedroom.</p>
<p>	“We’ll be waiting out here like good little boys-” The door slammed shut behind the pair, isolating them from the others. Hwanwoong sat on the edge of the bed, and it was then when Dongju noticed how tired and worn out he looked. The bags under his eyes seemed darker than before. After a beat of silence:</p>
<p>	“Do you hate me now?” The question hung in the air like a guillotine. Then: “If you want to end things here, I won’t stop you.” And Dongju knew his answer could permanently destroy their relationship. The decision weighed on Dongju’s shoulders as if he was carrying the weight of the world.</p>
<p>	“I don’t hate you. I’m just- I don’t know, okay?” Dongju answered anxiously. His image of Hwanwoong had changed, and doubt was eating away at him. Dark thoughts plagued his mind, and they wouldn’t leave him alone.</p>
<p>	“I’m sorry, Dongju. I should’ve told you about myself. You of all people deserved to know,” Hwanwoong apologized. “It was wrong of me to keep my life a secret from you.” He didn’t beg for forgiveness, but Dongju could see how devastated he looked. He looked like he was going to break down any second.</p>
<p>	“I’m sorry, too. I guess I overreacted a bit,” Dongju mumbled, finally taking a seat next to Hwanwoong. Dongju brushed his fingers alongside Hwanwoong’s, hoping Hwanwoong would understand what he meant. Thankfully, he did because Hwanwoong intertwined their hands together. </p>
<p>“But, uh. There are a few things I would like to ask you,” Dongju stated. He cursed his voice for shaking. He’d already forgiven Hwanwoong, yet his body didn’t seem to get it.</p>
<p>	“Ask me anything,” Hwanwoong replied. “And you don’t have to be so nervous. I’m still me, Dongju, and that will never change.” Reassurance filled Dongju as he mustered up the courage to speak.</p>
<p>	“Do you regret what you did?” Dongju blurted out. </p>
<p>	“No, I don’t,” Hwanwoong stated with conviction. The seriousness had come back, but Dongju didn’t feel the slightest bit scared anymore. “It’s only fair they experience the same thing after what they did.”</p>
<p>	“Then, can we go back to normal?”</p>
<p>	“Of course. I’d love that,” Hwnwoong replied. He flopped back onto the bed with a heavy sigh. “I thought you were going to leave. I know I said you can leave whenever you want, but-”</p>
<p>	Dongju kissed him before he could finish his sentence. “I never thought about leaving your side. Humans are naturally scared of the unknown, and I didn’t know how to react properly. Maybe I was scared because I thought you’d kill me for knowing your secrets.”</p>
<p>	“I would never hurt a single hair on your head, Dongju-ah,” Hwanwoong responded. And Dongju believed him. Hwanwoong had given him so many options to break things off; he had always given the power to Dongju, and he had never once asked for anything back. </p>
<p>	“What about those guys outside?” Dongju questioned. They were probably still out there, doing something. Hopefully, it was nothing disastrous.</p>
<p>	“Forget about them,” Hwanwoong answered. “They can wait. Right now, I just want to lay here with you.” Dongju nodded, laying down side by side, their hands still clasped together.</p>
<p>	“Let’s stay like this forever.”</p>
<p>Their relationship might’ve gotten bruised, but bruises heal over time; nothing could ever break them apart.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to all of you who've somehow managed to finish this. This was my first chaptered work, and I've realized I probably shouldn't write any more chaptered stories. And I'm sorry to those I've disappointed with this chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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